Something In the Works

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Wow! Did you all have a wonderful couple of weeks? It's been a long time since I've posted so I'm sorry it's been quiet around here.

I've was busy with some non-card projects and then I spent two days cooking in the kitchen for our Thanksgiving feast, but then I was able to focus on this project I've had brewing in my head for a while.

Here's a peek at a label I've designed for a friend of mine. I'm not finished adding layers and bling yet, but I added enough to show you what it looks like, because I'm so excited about it.

I started out looking for a die-cut shape that I liked and even though a circle punch or die would have been the best idea, I just had to make it unique. I found the Papertrey Ink Jar Label die the right size and price to try out my skills.

The details on how I cut out the labels after printing them on metallic gold paper are somewhat time consuming, but I came up with a few tricks along the way that might be of some use. Why did I not come up with sooner?

Use a scrap piece of cardstock about a 1/2-inch larger than the diecut shape and center the diecut on and run through your cutting machine.

Have 4-5 small strips of vellum tape (I used Scotch brand) ready to hold the viewfinder and die in place once you have aligned it to your image. Place two pieces on the viewfinder.

Then slip the die cut over the viewfinder and wiggle it about so it can drop into the view finder. Place two strips of tape to secure it to the viewfinder.

The metallic paper is a bit thin and more flimsy than cardstock so it was always getting stuck in the die. I struggled with tweezers and stick pins to my Quick Kutz Tool trying to get them out and then on the last couple of cuts I realized I could use an extra piece of tape to get the cut paper out of the die. Boy, I wish I had figured that out sooner. Let's just say I have a really bad manicure now. LOL

Stuck paper in the die! My nemesis on this project.

My friend makes delicious caramel apples to give out to family and friends, so I hope to surprise her with these labels to use on the packaging. Hope she likes them!

Now I'm off to find the directions on making those accordian fold paper fans that are so popular on tags and cards right now. I think I know how to do it, but after cutting out all these tags I'm going to want to have someone else give me the tips and tricks to doing them.

Take care and have a wonderful Monday!

Details:
PaperTrey Ink Jar Label Die, circle punches, Lauren Script font from FONTSCAPE .com, scraps of ribbon and cardstock.

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Wishing you Love

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It's a valentine card today. It's true, just around the corner it will be the big month of everything sweet and red and romantic. It always sneaks up on me and most particularly when my kids have valentine day at their schools. So yes, I have a valentine card collection starting with this one. LOL

This card has a digital stamp from DigiStamp Boutique called Valentine Zoe... too cute, don't you think so? Joining Valentine Zoe in the Valentine Cutey Characters set are Henry, Marvin and Matilda, which is one of the two Offer of the Month treats at DigiStamp Boutique. Here's the linky if your itching to get them on the spot.

I had some fun creating several home made embellishments for this card. I was in the mood to craft and stay in denial about Mount Laundry, Menu Planning and house cleaning for the holidays that were planned. I was in my craft room all day! Well my two sweet children were crafting beside me. They started at 6:30 this morning in fact. LOL

First, I collaged some pattern paper with two Stampin' Up retired background stamps (a distressed scratched BG stamp and Checkerboard BG). Once I pulled the image, ribbon and paper together I used the rolled flower technique with some red cardstock for miniature flowers, but instead of a spiral line I did a scalloped spiral line. I didn't come up with this idea and it might be out there somewhere as a tutorial, but I did see it as a die from a Member Company at Splitcoaststampers. I was curious how that idea would work so I drew a 1 1/2 inch scalloped spiral on the cardstock and cut it out. Pinched the beginning with some pointy tweezers and started to roll it tightly around the tweezers to weaken the paper fibers. Then I let go a bit so it would loosen the spiral and open up the flower. I used Quick Drying Tacky glue and held it in place until it stayed. I curled the petals with the tweezers then squirted some red Stickles glue in the middle.

I also made up some tickets. Here's the quick steps to make your own ticket strips. Cut a thin strip of paper 1/2 inch taller than the stamp you want to use on the ticket. Use a rotary perforating blade in your hand rotary cutter or if you have a slider trimmer that can use the perforating blade. Make perforations 1/2 inch longer than the stamp image. At each intersecting perforation and edge of the paper punch a half circle with a standard hole punch. Voila!

Details:
Size: 5 1/2-inch square
Stamps: Valentine Zoe, For a Friend, Checkerboard BG, Weathered BG (?)
Paper: Neenah Solar White, Real Red, Petal Press Textured Brown Paper, Kraft (cardstock and text copy for ticket)
Ink: LaserJet, Prismacolor Markers (image) and Pencils (ticket), Basic Black, Creamy Caramel, VersaMagic Red
Accessories: 1 3/8 - inch circle punch, perforating rotary blade, blue grosgrain ribbon, Quick Dry Tacky glue, Red Stickles, MFT big scalloped die

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Hoot for Joy!

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Whoo-Hoot! or is it... Hu-it, tohoo! Hoot is coming to spread a bit of joy on my card today.

The owl, Hoot, is colored with Prismacolor Markers and handcut with a craft knife. I had quite a few die cuts lying around on my table so I decided to just pull them together for this card. What was lying around? A tag die from Verve, a photo corner from Martha Stewart, jumbo ricrac from My Favorite Things and a circle from Spellbinders. I used Papertrey Ink's rick rack for accent. In Basic Black ink, I stamped 2003 Stampin Up mini background onto the card base and the 2007 "joy" stamp on Neenah Solar White. The kraft circle needed a little something so I grabbed a sponge and white gesso paint and did some accent sponging around the edge. For some finishing touches I gave the tag some tails with hemp twine and three black rhinestones from American Crafts.

Pile It On Challenge - Christmas or Winter with Animals
Lil Red Wagon - Use some red
Raise The Bar #43 - Curves
Stamping Vacation - Pick 3 for November (Green card base, popdot and tag)
Lexi's Creations - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by!

Details:
Card Size: 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches
Stamps: DSB Hoot, SU Fresh Fillers and Perfect Presentation
Paper: Using up Scraps
Ink: LaserJet, Prismacolor Markers, Basic Black, Gesso Paint
Accessories: Verve Sweet Scallop Die, Spellbinders Standard Large Circle, My Favorite Things Jumbo RicRac, Papertrey Ink Rickrack, Martha Stewart Photo Corner, Hemp Twine, American Crafts Black Rhinestones

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Hello Friend

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I splurged last week. I was in the mood for a little me time with some new supplies and Verve's release party was just at the right time.

Since I still have little time in the craft room, I had to play clean and simple on my card for the Mojo Monday Sketch 163, but I used my two newest favorites from Verve. There is a new scallop tag AND matching die. But OH MY WORD, the system is spectacular. You have to go look at the tutorial here, to see just how easy it is to stamp and die cut the tag.

I played with the tag stamp and die for a while because I just wanted to have some fun, but then the gold gingham paper in front of me was calling to be made into a tag. I stamped the tag in Graphite Black then a leaf sprig from the Great Friend set in Garden Green and hand cut out the tag. Yep, I am so use to cutting out my stamped images that I didn't even think twice about the tag die sitting next to my Cuttlebug. *sigh* I used my new Friendly Phrases set for the sentiment, stamping each word separately so I could stack them at the bottom of the tag.

I pulled a flower from the Great Friend set to make the scallop shape on the sketch. After I stamped the flower I used the clear positioning tag from the die set to mark the edge of the tag so that the center of the flower would be the hole in the tag. Then I stamped the tag over the flower with a mask to keep the dotted trim from transferring onto the flower.

The kraft card base is embossed with Sissix's Floral Flourishes folder. The ribbon is wrapped and tied in a bow around the whole card to finish it off.

I hope you all have had a wonderful weekend,

thanks for stopping by.

Details:
Stamps: Sweet Scallop Tag, Great Friend, Friendly Phrases
Paper: Kraft, gingham patterned paper
Ink: Graphite Black, Garden Green, Chocolate Chip Writer pen
Accessories: Verve Sweet Scallop Die, Sissix Floral Flourishes EF, Gold satin ribbon, 1/8-inch hole punch

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Happy Belated Birthday Sis! Part II

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And just so I'm not leaving anyone hanging with the second belated birthday card for my other sister...

I've used this technique from Susan Liles a couple of times and I giggle everytime I do it... cutting a sliver from one of the coordinating cardstock makes for a very easy needle and "thread" on a button. Just love how quick and easy it is!

Details:
Stamps: DigiStamp Boutique Birthday Zoe, Verve Kind Words
Paper: Textured brown cardstock and others from scrap bin
Ink: LaserJet, SU! Chocolate Chip Writer (stitching), Graphite Black
Accessories: Buttons, Papertrey Ink RickRack Border, American Crafts Chocolate buttons

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Holiday Planning Kit

For my MOPS group this past week, we decided to go organized-style. We made a quick kit that can be tucked away somewhere in the car or around the house that will keep us on our toes for the holidays.

Even if we have a master calendar and lists started it's always nice to have a place to contain our holiday planning and even to keep christmas cards, thank you cards and postage stamps.

I found some 8 x 8 inch clear plastic scrapbooking envelopes, 2 in a package, for $1. My favorite local paper store had chipboard in packages of 25 for under $4 as the stable base for our kit. The rest was all made or grabbed from other websites (appropriate permissions granted).

So here is the kit!

A large calendar for adding tasks and reminders like, "clean guest sheets ", "thaw turkey", "send xmas cards", "pick up table linens from dry cleaner" (yeah, I don't have to do that either. LOL)

What's that peeking out the back? LISTS! from the Organized Christmas website. She has two planner styles to download for personal use. A notebook planner and a pocket planner version. The lists here are from the pocket planner version. (Tip: All downloads are on the right sidebar.)

We added a notepad for any messages that need to be distributed or just a place to calculate what's needed.  The notebook paper was stacked 20 at a time and then cut to size. Then a perforator rotarty blade was run across the top, stapled together and covered with folded kraft text paper cut with a Spellbinders Label Six die-cut.

 Thanks for stopping in! Have a great Monday!